- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34128 CRL.P No. 8848 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 8824 of 2026 CRL.P No. 8841 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 7TH DAY OF JULY, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 8848 OF 2026 C/W CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 8824 OF 2026, CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 8841 OF 2026 IN CRL.P No. 8848/2026: BETWEEN: HEMA KUMARA K S/O ANJANEYA T AGED ABOUT 44 YEARS R/AT 117, MADDURU KONASALE MANDYA - 571419 (PETITIONER IS IN CUSTODY) …PETITIONER (BY SRI H.S. CHANDRAMOULI, SR. ADV., FOR SRI RAJATH, ADV.) AND: THE STATE OF KARNATAKA THE STATE OF KARNATAKA BY LOKAYUKTA POLICE, CHAMARAJANAGARA REP. BY THE SPL. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR LOKAYU HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA BENGALURU - 560 001. …RESPONDENT (BY SRI K. PRASANNA SHETTY, ADV.) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.PC (FILED U/S 483 BNSS) PRAYING TO ENLARGING THE PETITIONER WHO HAS BEEN ARRAIGNED AS ACCUSED NO.2 ON BAIL IN CR.NO.2 OF 2026 OF LOKAYUKTA P.S, CHAMARAJANAGAR REGISTERED FOR THE OFFENCES P/U/S 7(a) OF THE P.C. ACT PENDING ON THE FILE OF THE PRL. DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE, CHAMARAJNAGARA. Digitally signed by NANDINI M S Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34128 CRL.P No. 8848 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 8824 of 2026 CRL.P No. 8841 of 2026 IN CRL.P NO. 8824/2026: BETWEEN: SHRI SHAKEEL AHMED AGED ABOUT 47 YEARS S/O LATE MUNEER AHMED NO.21/239, TIPPU MOHALLA MUSLIM BLOCK, KRISHNARAJA NAGAR KALENAHALLI, MYSURU - 571 602 NOTE:- NAME AND ADDRESS AS PER AADHAR CARD. ...PETITIONER (BY SRI P. PRITHVI KIRAN SETTY, ADV.) AND: STATE OF KARNATAKA BY LOKAYUKTA POLICE CHAMARAJANAGARA, REP BY SPECIAL PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, KARNATAKA LOKAYUKTA M.S. BUILDING COMPLEX BENGALURU - 560 001. ...RESPONDENT (BY SRI K. PRASANNA SHETTY, ADV.) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.PC (FILED U/S 483 BNNS) PRAYING TO PASS AN ORDER GRANTING BAIL THEREBY DIRECTING THE RESPONDENT POLICE TO RELEASE THE PETITIONER/ACCUSED IN CR NO.02/2026 DATED 02.06.2026 ON THE FILE OF THE HONBLE PRL.DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE, AT CHAMARAJANAGARA FOR THE OFFENCES P/U/S 7(a) OF THE PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION (AMENDMENT) ACT 2018. IN CRL.P NO. 8841/2026: BETWEEN: MR. HABEEB AHAMMED S/O RIYAZ AHAMMED AGED ABOUT 29 YEARS - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34128 CRL.P No. 8848 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 8824 of 2026 CRL.P No. 8841 of 2026 WARD NO.04, B.B. COLONY GALIPURA BADAVANE CHAMARAJANAGARA TOWN - 571 313 (NOW JUDICIAL CUSTODY, DISTRICT PRISON, CHAMARAJANAGAR) ...PETITIONER (BY SRI ASHMATH PASHA, SR. ADV., FOR SRI KARIAPPA N.A, ADV.) AND: STATE OF KARNATAKA BY KARNATAKA LOKAYUKTA POLICE STATION CHAMARAJANAGAR, REP BY STATE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR, HIGH COURT BUILDING BENGALURU - 560 001. ...RESPONDENT (BY SRI LETHIF B, ADV.) THIS CRL.P IS FILED U/S 439 CR.PC (FILED U/S 483 BNNS) PRAYING TO ENLARGE HIM ON BAIL IN CR.NO.02/2026 ON THE FILE OF LOKAYUKTA POLICE STATION CHAMARAJANAGAR, FOR OFFENCE U/S.7(a) OF PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT, 1988, WHICH IS PENDING ON THE FILE OF PRINCIPAL DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE, AT CHAMARAJANAGAR. THESE PETITIONS, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S VISHWAJITH SHETTY ORAL ORDER 1. Accused nos.1 to 3 in Crime No.2/2026 registered by Lokayuktha Police Station, Chamarajanagara, for the offence punishable under Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34128 CRL.P No. 8848 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 8824 of 2026 CRL.P No. 8841 of 2026 Act, 1988, are before this Court in these three petitions filed under Section 483 of BNSS, 2023, seeking regular bail. 2. Heard the learned Counsel for the parties. 3. FIR in Crime No.2/2026 was registered by Lokayuktha Police Station, Chamarajanagara, against accused nos.1 & 2 for the aforesaid offences based on the first information dated 02.06.2026 received from Nagaraju S/o late Siddashetty. In a trap that was held subsequent to the registration fo FIR, accused nos.1 to 3 were allegedly caught red-handed after receiving the bribe amount from the first informant and were arrested on 02.06.2026 and thereafter remanded to judicial custody. Bail application filed by accused nos.1 to 3 before the Trial Court in Crime No.2/2026 was rejected. Therefore, they are before this Court in these petitions. 4. Learned Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of the accused persons submit that major portion of the investigation is already completed. The alleged demand is made by accused no.1 and recovery of amount was made from accused no.3, who is not a Government servant. Petitioners' custody is no - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34128 CRL.P No. 8848 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 8824 of 2026 CRL.P No. 8841 of 2026 more required by the prosecution. Accordingly, he prays to allow the petition. 5. Per contra, learned Counsel appearing for the respondent who have filed their statement of objections opposing the bail application, submits that investigation of the case is under progress, and accordingly, prays to dismiss the petition. 6. Material on record would go to show that on 15.05.2026, the first informant had approached accused no.1 who is a Revenue Inspector working in the office of City Municipal Council, Chamarajanagara, for the purpose of changing the revenue entries of his immovable property. Accused no.1 allegedly had demanded a total sum of Rs.25,000/- as bribe on behalf of him and also on behalf of accused no.2. First informant who did not intend to pay the bribe amount to accused nos.1 & 2, had approached the police on 02.06.2026 and submitted first information, based on which, FIR was registered against accused nos.1 & 2 for the aforesaid offences. 7. It is the case of the prosecution that in the trap that was held subsequently, accused no.1 had received the amount of - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34128 CRL.P No. 8848 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 8824 of 2026 CRL.P No. 8841 of 2026 Rs.25,000/- from the first informant and had handed over the same to accused no.3, who is his friend stating that he would be collecting the said amount from him subsequently. Immediately thereafter, accused no.2 had also come to the said spot and it appears all the accused were apprehended by the Lokayuktha Police, and thereafter, the bribe amount of Rs.25,000/- was recovered and seized under a panchanama and the apprehended accused were produced before the jurisdictional Court on the next date. 8. In a trap case, major portion of the investigation is completed on the date of trap itself. Accused nos.1 & 2 are serving as Revenue Inspector and Revenue Officer in the office of the City Municipal Council, Chamarajanagara, and undisputedly, they do not have criminal antecedents. Accused no.3 is not a Government servant and is said to be the friend of accused no.1, to whom accused no.1 had handed over the bribe amount after receiving the same from the first informant. Major portion of the investigation is completed. The maximum punishment for the alleged offence is imprisonment for a period of seven years. Under the circumstances, I am of the opinion - 7 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34128 CRL.P No. 8848 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 8824 of 2026 CRL.P No. 8841 of 2026 that petitioners' prayer for grant of regular bail is required to be answered affirmatively. Accordingly, the following order: 9. The petitions are allowed. The petitioners are directed to be enlarged on bail in Crime No.2/2026 registered by Lokayuktha Police Station, Chamarajanagara, for the offence punishable under Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, subject to the following conditions: a) Petitioners shall execute personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- each with two sureties for the likesum, to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional Court; b) The petitioners shall appear regularly on all the dates of hearing before the Trial Court unless the Trial Court exempts their appearance for valid reasons; c) The petitioners shall not directly or indirectly threaten or tamper with the prosecution witnesses; d) The petitioners shall not involve in similar offences in future; e) The petitioners shall not leave the jurisdiction of the Trial Court without permission of - 8 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:34128 CRL.P No. 8848 of 2026 C/W CRL.P No. 8824 of 2026 CRL.P No. 8841 of 2026 the said Court until the case registered against them is disposed off. Sd/- (S VISHWAJITH SHETTY) JUDGE KK